Currently, a handful of notable names in the race for being Nakamoto have passed away, including Hal Finney, a well-known computer scientist, and Len Sassaman, a respected American technologist. While Finney has long been a top contender, Sassaman has flown a bit more under the radar—until now. This week, Galaxy’s head of research, Alex Thorn, mentioned hearing that the HBO documentary points to Sassaman as the elusive Nakamoto.
Thorn also shared a 2021 editorial by Evan Hatch, which outlines a theory suggesting Sassaman could have been behind Bitcoin. But before diving into that theory, let’s explore Sassaman’s life and achievements. Len Sassaman was a widely respected cryptographer and privacy advocate, contributing significantly to computer security and cryptography. Born on April 9, 1980, Sassaman had a dynamic career, deeply rooted in protecting digital privacy.
Though his life was tragically cut short on July 3, 2011, at just 31, Sassaman left an indelible mark. He was a highly valued security architect, PhD candidate, cryptographer, cypherpunk, co-founder of Code Con, and the creator of the Zimmermann–Sassaman Protocol. Although Finney has long been the top pick for potential Satoshi Nakamoto candidates, interest in Sassaman’s connection to the Bitcoin creator gained traction in 2021 after Evan Hatch published “Len Sassaman and Satoshi: A Cypherpunk History.”
Hatch lays out several compelling reasons why Sassaman might have been Nakamoto in the comprehensive article. One striking detail is the timing of Sassaman’s death in July 2011, just months after Satoshi vanished from public view in April 2011. Hatch also emphasizes Sassaman’s deep ties to the cryptography and cypherpunk worlds, including his work on PGP encryption and his leading role in developing remailer technology—both of which share common ground with Bitcoin’s decentralized architecture.
Source: Evan Hatch’s article published on Feb. 21, 2021.
Hatch notes Sassaman’s close ties to key figures like Finney, the first person to receive a BTC transaction, and his collaborations with cryptographers such as David Chaum, who helped lay the foundation for digital currencies. These tidbits add weight to the theory. Sassaman’s contributions to privacy-enhancing technologies also align with Bitcoin’s ethos of decentralization and pseudo-anonymity. Furthermore, Hatch emphasizes Sassaman’s academic background in cryptography, work with P2P pioneer Bram Cohen, and involvement in decentralized system projects reflect the skillsets required to build Bitcoin.
However, to convincingly prove that Sassaman was Nakamoto, the filmmakers will need more than just circumstantial evidence. They would need to present undeniable proof such as cryptographic signatures directly linked to Bitcoin’s early development or personal documents showing Sassaman’s involvement in creating the protocol. Interviews with key figures in the cypherpunk community and Sassaman’s family, alongside expert analysis of Sassaman’s technical contributions, could add weight.
One argument that challenges the idea of Len Sassaman being the mastermind behind Bitcoin is a message allegedly from Satoshi Nakamoto in 2014. In Mar. 2014, the Bitcoin world buzzed when a post appeared on the P2P Foundation’s forum with a simple yet telling statement: “I am not Dorian Nakamoto.” The backstory behind this post stems from a Newsweek article by journalist Leah McGrath Goodman, who claimed that Dorian Prentice Satoshi Nakamoto, a Japanese-American man in California, could be the elusive Bitcoin creator. Nakamoto’s message directly denied this claim, fueling even more speculation.
If we take this message at face value and accept it was written by Nakamoto in 2014, then Sassaman couldn’t be Bitcoin’s creator, as he had passed away three years earlier. The message effectively rules him out as a contender.
Additionally, finding early digital communications or technical insights that only Bitcoin’s creator would have known would be crucial in solidifying the theory as more than just a possibility. Like Finney, however, Sassaman’s untimely death adds complexity to the debate over Satoshi Nakamoto’s identity. While speculation swirls, proving Sassaman’s role remains a daunting task, much like with other deceased candidates. His passing in 2011 shortly after Nakamoto’s disappearance only adds to the intrigue, but without concrete evidence, the enigma continues to persist. It can be easily said that the mystery of Nakamoto’s identity is easily one of the most captivating topics in the cryptocurrency space.
The upcoming HBO documentary promises to explore a candidate’s possible connection to Bitcoin, but it may end up providing more questions than answers. Much like past efforts to identify Nakamoto, the film might be more about entertainment than discovery. Viewers should remain skeptical, as definitive proof of Nakamoto’s identity may still be out of reach. Despite the hype surrounding the documentary, there’s a possibility it could be another instance of a clickbait-like marketing scheme, aimed more at grabbing attention than revealing the truth. As intriguing as the theory is, audiences might find themselves no closer to solving the riddle of Bitcoin’s creator by the film’s end.
